About

Hi there! I’m David Pogue: former New York Times tech columnist, current tech critic at Yahoo Finance, and author of 104 tech books (including the Pogue’s Basics and Missing Manual series).

I'm also a dad, a pianist, a magician, and a life-long learner. In addition, I’ve hosted more than a dozen programs for NOVA, the longest-running science program on American TV.

Along the way, I've gotten the chance to visit incredible places, meet brilliant people, and see amazing science in action. Best of all, I've been able to share it with you!

Bringing science to the public isn’t always glamorous...

...but it is always important, and that's why it's been NOVA's mission for over 40 years.

If we can bring out the excitement, the fun, and even the humor in science, we can make it more accessible to everyone. And that's critical to keeping science as part of our national conversation.

Starting today, we have a chance to continue that mission together.

Join me on NOVA's next adventure as we explore the secret world of molecules—for a new project called Beyond the Elements!

Together, we can bring our discoveries to life with a brand-new television special, rich educational materials, and a cutting-edge VR experience. And we can send it to every public high school in the United States… for free.
Ready to get started?

Of COURSE WE DO! Making science more accessible to everyone isn't just a good idea, it's essential to our very survival. Scientific knowledge is what lets us…

(Not to mention such science-enabled inventions as smartphones, emoji, and Snapchat.)

That's why, frankly, we should be worried when we hear statistics like these:

How is this happening?! If science is so essential to a safe, prosperous future, why don't more Americans understand even the most basic scientific concepts?

There are many reasons, but one of them is that science is often inaccessible to the public. To non-experts, science can appear too abstract, intimidating, or unrelatable to feel essential. Many people never get the chance to see science the way science lovers see it: as an incredible key that can unlock the secrets of the universe.

If we want to live in a world that values science, we need to make sure more people can understand and love science. We need more people to experience the wonder of science, and not see it as "too hard" or "just for experts." In short, we need to make science for all.
And that’s where NOVA comes in.

For over 40 years, NOVA has been at the forefront of making science more accessible to the public. Since 1973, PBS has aired more than 750 NOVA programs, which have helped millions of people understand and appreciate the importance of scientific thought and discovery.
This work hasn't gone unnoticed: NOVA has won countless awards, including numerous EMMY®, Peabody and duPont-Columbia Awards.

Of course, even more important than the awards are the results.
Every year, people tell me, and NOVA, about the impact the show has had on their lives. In fact, I've met more than a few scientists who chose their careers because they watched NOVA, and even more kids who tell me that NOVA is the reason they want to become scientists.

NOVA is also an indispensable resource for thousands of science teachers. Across the country, classrooms rely not just on NOVA programming, but on the free learning materials that NOVA creates to help teachers bring science to life. See for yourself:

And NOVA isn't just for students and teachers. It's essential viewing for learners of all ages. When it comes to reach, not many shows can compare to NOVA. Tens of millions of Americans have watched NOVA over the years. In fact...

That’s more than 50 million people. So let's recap:

We know we need more people to understand and love science.

We know that NOVA has been helping people discover science for over 40 years.

We know there's still a lot of work left to do.

And that's where you come in.

Our Kickstarter campaign has four potential goals. The more we raise, the more we'll be able to accomplish.

Our first goal is to fund an exciting new NOVA TV special called Beyond the Elements, hosted by me, David Pogue. It’s a follow-up to Hunting the Elements, one of the most popular NOVA specials ever; you can read more about that further down the page.

Like all NOVA shows, this two-hour TV special will air on all PBS stations. It will also be available online—free to the public, thanks to "viewers (and backers!) like you."

Beyond the Elements tells a great story. There are only about 90 naturally occurring elements in the universe—but they can combine in over 100 million ways to make up everything we know—everything we’ve ever encountered, from the air we breathe to the ketchup we put on our burgers. In this special, I’ll travel the world on a quest to unlock the secrets of molecules, both human-made and natural, from poisons to peppers and everything inbetween.

Once we’ve passed $1 million, we’ll be on a race for our second goal: To fund the production of free teaching resources that educators need to make Beyond the Elements more useful in their classrooms.

They’ll include lesson plans, interactive videos, and even virtual field trips, in which NOVA will stream a live video feed directly into classrooms from exciting on-site locations. Students will get a chance to follow along in real time and ask questions to experts.

And, like all NOVA educational materials, all of these materials will be available on the web for free to any teacher or student who wants them.

Then, once we’ve passed our second goal, we’ll be on the road to meeting our third goal—a special resource that NOVA’s never offered before.

NOVA's digital team already makes all kinds of great interactive materials; its free Elements iPad app has been downloaded nearly 3 million times. But if we reach our third goal, we can take Beyond the Elements where no NOVA special has gone before… into virtual reality.

While Beyond the Elements will be great as a TV special, think how much cooler it'll be if you can then shrink down and go inside the mind-blowing world of molecules, to see everything up close! VR is still an emerging technology, but it has exciting implications for education. With your help, NOVA can pioneer new ways to make science for all in this new format.

Finally, once we pass $2.25 million, we’ll begin working to bring NOVA—and Beyond the Elements—to as many American students as possible.
Beyond the Elements will be free on TV and, for a limited time, on the web—but not all public high schools can stream online video in their classrooms.

We want to make sure teachers can depend on Beyond the Elements to be available whenever they need it.
That's why our final goal is to make both Hunting the Elements and Beyond the Elements available on DVD or Blu-Ray, for free, to every public high school in the United States—almost 26,000 schools.

Together, we can make an incredible new special, bring it to life with classroom materials and a VR experience, and make sure that it's available to every high-school student in America. If we do, we'll have helped NOVA make the world of molecules both more exciting to all viewers, and more available to millions of students and teachers.

If we want to make science for all, that's a pretty good start.

We spent a long time thinking about this.

NOVA covers a huge variety of science topics. Maybe you get most excited about outer space. Or chemistry, math, engineering, nature, or archaeology. No matter which topic excites you, chances are that there's a NOVA episode about it.

Here are a few reasons we settled on Beyond the Elements for this campaign:

It's a follow-up to one of NOVA's most watched, most popular specials.

It makes some of science's most basic concepts enjoyable for all ages.

We've been wanting to make it for years.

Hunting the Elements fans have been asking us to make it.

We knew it would take some real funding to make it a reality, and...

We've received support from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to get us started!

Now, if we work together, we can finally make it happen.

Several years ago, I hit the road with the NOVA team to discover the secrets behind our universe’s building blocks: the elements of the periodic table.

Hunting the Elements aired in 2012, and was an instant hit: Over 10 million people have seen it to date, and nearly 3 million people have downloaded the accompanying app. You can watch it right now on the NOVA website, so you’ll get an idea of our style of scientific storytelling.

Teachers frequently write NOVA to say thank you, explaining how valuable it is in their classrooms. We’re often told how students have been inspired by it. For example, I got to meet 10-year-old Eva from Oklahoma, who was so inspired by the show that she memorized the entire periodic table. Or 10-year-old Henry from Massachusetts, who has watched Hunting the Elements over 100 times:

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If we’re going to help more people fall in love with science, that’s exactly the kind of inspiration we need!

With Beyond the Elements, we want to take that winning formula and run with it.

This time we’ll take a look at how all those elements form molecules and make up everything we’ve ever encountered! Water is a molecule, caffeine is a molecule, and you are made of molecules. Molecules occur naturally, and some can also be crafted by humans. They can help or hurt, and we intend to tell their stories.

Our goal is for Hunting the Elements and Beyond the Elements to work together. We hope that they’ll provide an exciting, comprehensive introduction to chemistry that can catalyze a reaction in curious minds of all ages.

If you've read this far, I hope it’s because you agree that we need to make science for everyone. Our future depends on it.

But that doesn’t mean that you won’t get more immediate gratification for supporting this project. (After all, PBS has been giving away mugs and tote bags to its supporters since long before Kickstarter was invented.)

Some of you will be excited to get official NOVA rewards, and others would prefer that we spend everything we raise on helping more schools.

That's why we have two kinds of rewards:

You can get PERSONAL REWARDS, including exclusive NOVA Kickstarter gear, such as T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and even custom lab books, or you can pledge for EDUCATOR REWARDS, and we'll direct your pledge to helping the teacher(s) and school(s) of your choice. You'll find descriptions of all of the available rewards on the right side of this page, but if you're wondering what's included at each pledge level, this should help:

If you want more details, check out the FAQ for answers to questions like:

We know that $1 million is a lot of money (let alone $2.25 million!). So we want to be very clear about why we're asking for this much money, and how we'll use it.

The first thing you should know is that Beyond the Elements has already received a significant grant from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation toward the goals of this Kickstarter campaign. We’re grateful for their enthusiasm and support.

But even with the generous support of the Sloan Foundation, NOVA still needs to raise the amounts listed here to do everything we've described.

That's because, as in every Kickstarter campaign, we'll have to pay certain fees to Kickstarter and the credit-card companies. We'll also have to cover the cost of making and packing all of the rewards you're getting. (T-shirts don’t grow on trees, you know.)

So for each dollar we raise on Kickstarter, here's how our expenses break down:

I, David Pogue, am not the real force behind NOVA; I'm just the lucky slob who gets to host some of its specials! Here are the real brains of the operation, who will be joining us on this adventure:

Paula S. Apsell is the Senior Executive Producer and Director of the WGBH Science Unit. She is a recipient of the Bradford Washburn Award, the Carl Sagan Award, the American Institute of Physics Andrew Gemant Award, and the Planetary Society’s Cosmos Award, among many others.

FAVORITE ELEMENT: Gold has two qualities that you might not think go together. It glitters and it’s got substance. In that way, it’s just like NOVA–both entertaining and educational—the gold standard of science programming!

Chris Schmidt is NOVA’s Senior Producer and the Executive Producer for Beyond the Elements. He was Executive Producer, Writer, and Director on many other David Pogue films, including the Making Stuff series and Hunting the Elements.

FAVORITE ELEMENT: At the moment, silicon (Si) is my favorite element because I find it to be sadly tragic. It’s right below carbon on the periodic table, and it so wants to be able to do all the things carbon can do. But its bonds aren’t quite as strong or flexible and it can’t keep up with carbon’s social life, moving easily between the air, the water and the earth. Still, it’s got a great work ethic and it does its best. And even though we may never find alien life based on silicon, good old number 14 has given us plenty to be grateful for, like glass and computers! Thanks, silicon!

Pamela Rosenstein manages the development of multipart series and specials for NOVA and the WGBH Science Unit. She supervises the development pipeline of projects for foundation and government funding, overseeing concept development, fundraising strategies, proposal development, and stewardship of strategic partnerships.

FAVORITE ELEMENT: Helium, because I find it amazing that something produced naturally through radioactive decay can make you squeak. But don’t inhale too much; it is a finite resource, after all.

Tim De Chant is NOVA's senior digital editor and the founding editor of NOVA Next, NOVA's digital magazine. He is also in charge of NOVA's social media strategy.

FAVORITE ELEMENT: Carbon is my favorite element because it can tell us an incredible amount about the natural world. In tree rings, carbon isotope ratios can also tell us if the conditions in which the tree is growing have changed over its lifetime!

Ralph Bouquet is the Education and Outreach Manager at NOVA. Ralph helps make NOVA a valuable resource for educators through the production of digital resources like videos and web games, professional development opportunities, and collaboration with STEM education organizations.

Allison Eck is NOVA’s primary social media editor—the voice of NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She also writes for NOVA Next. She alternates between keeping her finger on the pulse of science news and interacting with our smart viewers and readers (i.e., YOU!).

FAVORITE ELEMENT: Bismuth, because its crystals grow in a staircase-shaped formation that reminds me of an M.C. Escher drawing.

Risks and challenges

For the answer to this question and lots of other questions you might have about the project, the rewards, NOVA, and more, check out our FAQ at http://makescienceforall.com/faq

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 25 or more
About US$ 25

JOIN THE SUPER NOVA SCIENCE SOCIETY

Take the next step: Become a charter member of the SUPER NOVA SCIENCE SOCIETY! You'll get an exclusive digital MEMBERSHIP KIT with a printable CERTIFICATE and MEMBERSHIP CARD, and an official ringtone and wallpapers.

Plus, a few times a year, you'll receive a special DIGITAL SCIENCE POSTCARD from friends of NOVA and science! You’ll also get everything in the $10 level!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $50 or more
About $50

WEAR THE SHIRT!

Shouldn't everyone know that you're helping MAKE SCIENCE FOR ALL? With an exclusive NOVA CAMPAIGN T-SHIRT, they will! Wear your love of science loud and proud with this exclusive premium-quality tee.

Plus, get everything in the previous packages!

PLEASE NOTE: Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $8 - $10 in the USA. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $55 or more
About $55

PAY IT FORWARD: ADOPT A TEACHER

The perfect way to show your appreciation to a teacher who helped introduce you – or your child – to the wonders of science. The educator of your choice will receive copies of both HUNTING THE ELEMENTS and BEYOND THE ELEMENTS to add to their classroom and a special thank you card for you to fill out. Want to adopt a teacher, but don't have one in mind? We'll find one for you!

PLEASE NOTE: This is a standalone reward. It doesn’t include any other rewards and is not included in other reward packages.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $10 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

HANG THE POSTER!

Ready to out yourself to the world as an unabashed science-lover? Show your stuff with a set of limited edition stickers or buttons. Plus, get the official CAMPAIGN POSTER (A big one! 27”x39”) featuring the periodic table.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $12-15 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible. If you're choosing between two rewards, we'll ask you for your choice in the backer rewards order form after the campaign.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

TAKE NOVA WITH YOU!

Start your day right with a dose of C8H10N4O2 in an exclusive NOVA KICKSTARTER COFFEE MUG. Or, move between experiments in scientific style with a NOVA TOTE BAG.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $15 - $18 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

OWN THE ELEMENTS (DVD or BLU-RAY)

Add BEYOND THE ELEMENTS on DVD or Blu-ray to your personal collection (or gift them to a chemistry teacher you love)!

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $20 - $23 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $200 or more
About $200

THE NOVA LAB PACK

Gear up to solve the world’s problems with the NOVA lab pack! It includes a custom NOVA lab book, a pen with a completely, retractable periodic table of the elements, and a special NOVA decal sticker for your laptop, car bumper, or anywhere else you want to sport your NOVA support.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $25 - $28 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 250 or more
About US$ 250

READ ALL ABOUT IT

We'll send you a copy of either ELEMENTS or MOLECULES, beautiful visual books written by our friend Theo Gray. These detailed books are gorgeously designed and illustrated to let you see substances up close, at the atomic level, and to appreciate the full wonder of Earth’s elements and molecules!

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $28 - $30 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 325 or more
About US$ 325

PAY IT FORWARD: ADOPT A CLASSROOM

Bring the wonder of science to a school of your choice, by sending them a collection of 10 ESSENTIAL NOVA SPECIALS on DVD or BLU RAY. We're putting together a selection covering ten different popular topics, perfect for classroom use, and we'll send it along to the science class of your choice. Plus, we'll throw in an official NOVA PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS POSTER and a PERSONALIZED INTRODUCTION VIDEO from David Pogue.

Want to help a classroom, but don't have one in mind? We'll find one for you!

PLEASE NOTE: This is a standalone reward. It doesn’t include any other rewards and is not included in other reward packages.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $25 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $350 or more
About $350

PERSONAL VIDEO FROM DAVID POGUE

Surprise an avid NOVA fan – or ask for advice about tech, money, or a lifehack -- in a PERSONALIZED VIDEO from DAVID POGUE!

As America’s leading authority on personal tech, and an expert at saving time and money, David is ready to record a video giving you up to 60 seconds of advice on just about anything!* Plus, you'll get everything in the $250 reward package!

*The video can't be an advertisement or endorsement of any kind. David reserves the right to refuse or adjust any content he's not comfortable with.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $28 - $30 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $450 or more
About $450

VIDEO CHAT w/ DAVID POGUE

Need someone to help Dad set up his new iPad? Computer taking forever to start up? If only you could call Yahoo’s chief tech critic…Oh wait: Now you can!

Get a PERSONALIZED TECH SUPPORT VIDEO CALL with David Pogue himself, lasting up to 30 minutes, to ask for tech help, life advice, or anything else you want!* Plus, you'll get everything in the $250 package.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $28 - $30 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $600 or more
About $600

LIVE SCIENCE EXPERIMENT w/ DAVID POGUE

For a truly unique learning experience, David Pogue will link up with you in an online video chat to do a live science experiment with your family or class! We’ll even send you the materials ahead of time. It’s like being a part of your own personal science show! Plus, you'll get everything in the $250 reward package!

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $28 - $30 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

PRIVATE LUNCH w/ DAVID POGUE

You and a friend will meet in New York City or San Francisco* for a LUNCH WITH DAVID POGUE at one of his favorite spots. Pick his brain about hosting NOVA, current technology trends, or writing for Yahoo! David’s done it all, and he has incredible stories to share with you. Meet up, chow down, and be entertained.

Plus, you'll get everything in the $250 reward package!

* Your choice of NYC or SF, but travel and accommodations are not included.

Shipping costs are NOT included now. You'll pay them separately after the campaign ends: we estimate around $28 - $30 in the USA for all the stuff in this package. Also, rewards will arrive at different times over the next 6-24 months, and delays are always possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

A LIVE ELEMENTS EVENT w/ DAVID POGUE!

NOVA always brings science to life, but with this reward, David Pogue will bring NOVA right to your school (or museum) to host a LIVE PROGRAM about the wonders of chemistry and the periodic table!

He’ll do live experiments, tell amazing science stories, and captivate the crowd with his infectious enthusiasm.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a standalone reward. It doesn’t include any other rewards and is not included in other reward packages.

* This pledge covers David's travel and accommodations covered up to $500. Reward only available in United States and Canada. Some locations may require an additional travel fee. See the FAQ for more details.